Laila is a hugely passionate and ambitious multidisciplinary creative who has worked foremost as an actor, then as director, producer, stage manager, singer and musician across stage and screen. They grew up in the Blue Mountains, and got their first theatre role as Olivia in Twelfth Night in a community theatre production at the age of 12. This ignited an all consuming love of theatre and film, that has driven them out of the bush and into the city!
Laila has a wonderful history in supporting new theatrical work, and prior to ACA has had the pleasure of originating roles such as Summer in Bathory Begins (dir. Rowan Bates, ATYP), Bex in Lights in the Park (dir. Lucy Clements, ATYP) and Clementine in The Monologue Collective (dir. Nisrine Amine, KXT bakehouse/PYT Fairfield). They have also worked as ASM on Labyrinth (dir. Margaret Thanos, Dream Plane Productions) and Daddy Developed A Pill (dir. LJ Wilson, Snatched Theatre Co). They wrote, produced, directed and filmed their first short film (Clean Glasses) all the way back in 2019, and are very keen to step back into filmmaking once they graduate.
Whilst at ACA, Laila has had the absolute pleasure of playing Pam in Saved, Yvan in Art, Ejlert Lovborg in Hedda Gabler, First Witch, Donalbain and Doctor in Macbeth, Editor Webb, Howie Newsome, Mrs Soames and a flock of chickens in Our Town, Nettie/Melvin in Women Talking, Julie in Cosi and Susan in Don’s Party. They have been an active part of the ACA Writer’s Group, performing and acting as dramaturg on their 2024 show Lost And Found. They also had the utter privilege of directing their own adaptationas part of States of Decay, the Company of 2025’s Self Generated Project.
Laila has also continued to develop their craft and skills outside of ACA, notably as Assistant Director/Producer on Selkie at the Old Fitz (Dir. Kurtis Laing, Good Time Theatrics), and as a performer in several editions of Senseless and Fitz at the Old Fitz (Senseless Productions), as well as starring in short films such as Nocturnes, Trust, Just The Dark (AFTRS), Train Stop (Independent) and The Candidate (USYD/Independent). They also appeared in music videos such as The Smashed Avocado’s Get On Down, Breakfast Material and in Baraka The Kid’s Stress Free (NIDA x Triple J). They are set to appear soon in an Anti-Vaping Campaign with the NSW Government.
They are extremely excited to launch themselves out into the industry next year, to keep creating, collaborating and performing!!!
